Brando mixes hard drive with music system

Jake Widman
Tuesday, 07 April 2009 01:40

Business IT - Technology

Did you ever wish your hard drive came with speakers? The Brando HDD Dock Station may be just what you need.

The new device -- full name SATA HDD Dock Station Combo Stereo Speaker and Hub -- has a dock that accepts both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch bare SATA hard disks. The USB 2.0 connector handles the data transfer between the hard disk and your PC or Mac.

But storage isn't the Dock Station's only function. It also comes with stereo speakers with a built-in volume control and mute button. The line-in input jack also lets you plug your music player right into the Dock Station to use it as a standalone speaker system.

Hard disk, meet speakers

Not only that, but it also has a microphone jack, so you can use it for Skype or other VOIP applications. It also functions as a USB hub, with two additional ports on the front. The result is a US$59 device that, as the Brando website puts it, "allows you to enjoy the high-speed data transfer as well as the wonderful music."

The Dock Station join's Brando's extensive line of unique and useful USB peripherals, such as a mouse with a built-in SDHC card reader , a speaker shaped like a beer barrel , and a Web cam behind a one-way mirror so you can be sure you look your best when on a video chat.